This Program Project in Liver Diseases was initiated on May 1, 1976. The program evolved naturally from a series of interactions of medical scientists at this institution which grew out of their overlapping interests in various aspects of liver physiology, biochemistry and disease. The aggregation of a critical mass of investigators in the Liver-GI Unit of the Department of Internal Medicine, the relocation of the Unit into contiguous, newly-remodelled space thereby further promoting interaction, and the addition of new inputs both from within and outside the Liver-GI Unit led to our initial application. It was hoped that formalization of these interactions by participation in a joint program would stimulate interaction even further, and that mutual concerns would enhance the research productivity of the involved investigators. Moreover, it was hoped that an established productive program would have greater visibility and attract scientists from other disciplines to become involved in problems related to the liver.